Track Your Health Issue
Over the past few months, I’ve written about my blood pressure increasing from being sedentary for five weeks after my knee replacement. I’ve also written about hs-CRP in the study on inflammation and cancer. In addition, I’ve gotten questions about the impact of foods on the digestive system and the variation in blood sugar readings throughout the day.
While the questions vary, my answer is always the same: track it for a while. Whether it’s on a fitness watch, on a spread sheet, an app, or a notebook, record it somewhere. Doesn’t matter how you do it—just record the numbers along with other pertinent information, such as:
- Date and time of day.
- What you ate, if it’s important to the issue such as gastroesophageal reflux, or if you’re restricting calories for weight loss or longevity.
- When you took your meds and supplements.
- How well and how long you slept.
- If it’s your blood pressure, record your anxiety or stress level as well as reading in relation to exercise.
The combination of factors is endless, and not every factor will be as obvious. If you continue to track it, you’ll have an edge determining what is and isn’t related to what you’re tracking.
Could this be a lot of work? Yes. Will you find an answer? Maybe, maybe not. What it can do is allow you to discover something that’s useful and I’ll talk about that on Saturday.
What are you prepared to do today?
